“Today’s ‘service adjustments’ were an exercise in frustration for every Long Island Rail Road rider – even worse, it was like being trapped in a Stephen King novel. Fewer trains led to overcrowding when we are still in the middle of the pandemic and the LIRR is trying to encourage people to get back on the rails. Longer waits and more people on platforms gave the illusion of being back to normal, though we are anything but. Unfortunately, this was basically a May 2020 schedule imposed in March 2021 – and on the same day New York City announced it would be reopening its high schools. It doesn’t make sense that service is being cut at the same time the rest of the region is reopening. We understand that the LIRR has a lot of important infrastructure work to do to build the Rail Road of tomorrow. But at the same time, the commuters of today need to be able to get where they’re going safely and on time. Hopefully, the immediate adjustments being made to the new schedule will address some of the worst problems we saw today, but riders shouldn’t have to bear the brunt of the budget woes caused by the state’s withholding of MTA funds. It’s time to reverse that raid and restore the funds – and the trains – so tomorrow is better than today.”
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LIRR “Service Adjustments” Make No Sense
